Romance, if that
by Viola.Thunder
Summary: Angsty ZaRoth, not quite as you expected.


Zack looked at him curiously for a moment then stepped forward. Sephiroth stiffened slightly glanced up into Zacks warm gaze. He was trying vaguely hard not to reach out and touch the teen that just oozed sex appeal standing just in front of him. Those eyes told him that he too was thinking unessacery thoughts. The plump lips spread into a smile, if not more than a smirk.  
"Sir?" Zack wondered if he was making the right move and assumption. But what the hell.. if he had been reading the general right, that the action wouldn't be poorly disreguarded..besides, this perfect lithe form was standing arched in front of him, the body just begging to be touched and wondered at. Zack moved closer still. Sephiroth blushed slightly and his pupils widened even if eyebrows narrowed ever little.  
Maybe not even a flinch. Zack saw this and raised a hand a placed it on the small of his generals back.  
Zack had warm rough large hands, on Sephiroths cool marble like skin the touch was pleasant for both of them. Niether said anything. The silence and the slight embrace was oddly surreal for both of them. Neither moved away, it was if both had been waiting for this moment and they weren't going to let it go without a fight. Zack moved his hand up higher slowly and softly ever so slightly bringing the others torso closer to his own. Sephiroth leaned his cheek on Zacks shoulder and hugged his forearms back up around Zacks shoulder blades. Leaning into each other, fitting exactly. Zack waited, revelling in the affection and trust that was being shown to him, the love. Both men had let down their walls and given into something that had plagued them both for so long. It was just a moment that would change and be the pinnacle of something esplosive and good. A relationship. SOILDERs were inclined to be gay,  
but was the Great General Sephiroth? Sephiroth pulled away almost haphazardly from his heart and turned away leaving Zack alone. Zacks hand faltered in mid air for a second, keeping the warmth then letting it drop to his side. He didn't move after that. He didn't cry. His heart didn't break. He didn't follow his heart. He stood. Still spellboound by the moment that was just made. Trying to keep it longer, not wanting go stale. BUt the cold and darkness seeped, and it died. It was kept alive in his heart for a moment before it truely faltered. Thne Zack felt an itch, like a trigger finger and he frowned if not was sad and it showed breifly on his features. He stalked away.

Sephiroth found the walk sobering. His feet took him to his apartment. To his balcony. He stood, the cold and the dark trying to swallow him, he let it swallow his thoughts and he stood brain dead to all movement and thought. Sight was lost, thought and touch. There was nothing he could do to stop or change his situation. He didn't need to let it overtake him, it just did. Time passed a little. Then his senses were slowly awakened. If not even awakened at all. He heard something. More like the sounds came to him as wave on the shores, him being more aware of it with each passing time. It was the sound of a movement.  
A person. A sing of a blade, and the thrusts of limbs. He listened, then saw it in his mind. He knew that sound. It was combat. Second sense in turn, sight told him there was a figure in the courtyard. It was engaged in mortal combat as if with itself. It was going through a known routine, with small extra moves and flicks added. Sephiroth knew those movements. He took a deep breath and found himself move. Back into his room, his hands found his fame and release. His Masamune. It fit too perfectly and welcomed his grasp.  
Minutes later he found himself in the same courtyard, practised automatic stance ready. Looking straight at his opponant.

Zack turned at the foot steps and stopped. He stood there topless in the dark loosely holding his buster sword. He watched as the familiar figure tensed himself and went still. Zack copied the stance and looked into the face of his opponant and heart. Zack raised his sword and gave an ever so slight of a twitch of the head. Sephiroth moved forward as gracefully as a feline. They began their spar. In silence bar the swish and movement of material and blade, SOLIDER fought General. Neither seemed to be trying to directly win at first. Just the over practised drilled mechanical routines danced out. Left foot, move hip, bend right.. slowly at first untill the movements and technique climbed the ranks of skill and what was taught to those capable. Then Zack made an improvised move. Leant back at an angle too far. It went in slow motion and Sephiroth found he had to move slightly more than he assumed the split second before. The silence screamed and blocked them off to all other surroundings and thought,  
both initatives kicked in. Zack took a deeper breath, his heart thumped, ready for the new rhythm. In that same space of time Sephiroths eyes clouded over and he responded only to effects of the mako and what they so often bought out in him that he always had to control. Not this time. He dove in so graceful and smooth. Zack had barely time to react to the slice of tuned silver. He stepped back, spine ever so slighty twisted to meet the blade with his own. Sephiroth did not push the sword more into Zacks space. He felt immediatly that it would be futile to do nothing other than to back off. That he was not programmed to do. Zack saw the flash of incomposure and reacted. Bringing himself down and to the left, his weapon followed with his shoulders and hips bringing the Generals sword to twist uncomfortably in his grasp,  
Sephiroth could not respond before Zack used his upper torso to push into him. The great General stumbled.  
but regained himself slowly, all the while watching Zack. Zack saw nohing in the mans eyes. They looked surreal and bleak. Zack was unable to hold the gaze. Sephiroth did not look away. He eyes bore into Zack untill he felt himself relax and reside into calm. He loosened his grip on his Masamune. Something he had never done in the face of an oppenant before and stood, just staring. The dark outlined Zacks jet hair, making itself look less superiour to the boys profile in colour. Some far off light reflected in the violet eyes and slid down the boys cheek and jaw line as Zack turned his face to finally look back.  
The silence was still having its fun, but when Zack dropped his buster sword heavily to the ground it grimaced, giving it a slight echo and twang that rolled round the courtyard pleasurably. Then it settled again. Sephiroth met Zacks eyes. What he saw there hit him with its power. Zack didn't bother to hold anything in anymore. What he felt was too unreal he didn't believe it. His blood rushing through his veins. His hands still feeling the grip of the sword. His bare skin naturally reacting to the temperature.  
But there was Sephiroth in front of him. Not moving, his eyes bright and lips barely parted. Breathing softly. Zacks superior commanding officer, his friend, companion and love. Zacks head felt nothing. His heart felt a rush that was replaying and expanding into nothing and all. What was to come or what he was to do next was unknown to him. He did not know it was unkwown to him, he couldn't think. Zacks knees sagged and he fell, slumped to the ground. Pain bought on thought and he wondered briefly if he was wrong.  
His brain wondered if his heart and body had made a mistake. If they were wrong to behave in this way.  
To want Sephiroth. The words 'ShinRa' and 'Mako' ran through his head. Blame was easy. It wasn't like he was the only cadet who had feelings for the great and powerful General...Sephiroth who in one instance fell down comfortably to his haunches and pressed his parted lips to Zacks forehead, brushing the skin to not even a kiss. But the show of affection was all Zack needed. He gasped and fell forward into the Generals arms. The slight offset of balance keeping them upright. Some angle of weight in their embrace acting as a meeting of two arches. Zacks forehead to Sephiroths cheekbone the keystone. Silence, muscles and comfort allowed them this toush of peace for a moment. Until the forgotton Masamune slid and hit the gravel beside them. The sound woke them and Sephiroth straightened, pulling Zack with him. He took his friend and devotion into his arms and held him there. The silence accepted this and it felt real. All senses indulging themselves. Something being finally furfilled and gratified.  
"I love you." Sephiroth found words to complete himself.  
"I love you, sir." Zack smiled in pure happiness and felt a tear of joy grace his skin.


End file.
